


A Different Kind of Sacrifice

by AnitaB



Category: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:35:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23435530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnitaB/pseuds/AnitaB
Summary: Now that the new king is on his throne and building a new England with his round table of knights, there's one more thing the land needs to help recover from the bad magic and bad kingship of Arthur's uncle.  The only question left for the Mage is how to guide her king through this ritual without letting him know exactly what it means for her, what it might mean for them both.Not safe for work romantic smut ahead. I am the queen of romantic smut.
Relationships: Arthur/The Mage (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 58





	1. Chapter 1

Title: A Different Kind of Sacrifice  
Author: AnitaB  
Author's Note: I loved the new(ish) movie, and yet again ended up shipped this new Arthur with his mage. Now that the new king is on his throne and building a new England with his round table of knights, there's one more thing the land needs to help recover from the bad magic and bad kingship of Arthur's uncle. The only question left for the Mage is how to guide her king through this ritual without letting him know exactly what it means for her, what it might mean for them both.  
Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no money. Not safe for work romantic smut ahead. 

A Different Kind of Sacrifice  
by AnitaB  
Chapter 1: Bicker or Banter

Words were necessary here. But there was no chance that she would manage or even try to tell him everything she had just learned. "You must come with me." The Mage let her eyes meet Arthur's for a brief moment before she looked away. Everyone looked away sometimes. "There is something we must do… but not here." The edge of her sleeve had soot on it from the spell fire she'd just finished using for scrying. "And we must go alone. Now."

She felt him cock his head to one side and tried not to squirm under the look he must be giving her. Arthur didn't take well to being ordered around. And he never let a chance to argue, banter, flirt, or talk back pass him by. But now… now he was watching her silently when he should be talking. She was ready to give him a list of the reasons why he should just trust her, follow the plan, and most importantly not ask questions. Her lips began to part in search for those words, but the sound didn't have the time to make it out.

"Lead the way, then. Have we got everything we will need?"

Surprise dragged her eyes back to his face. Part of her was waiting for… something. For him to do something that made sense… but she should know better. She'd never predicted Arthur right a day in their lives and that wouldn't change because of what the signs said. //Stop… focus on the task at hand.\\\ "Get the sword. I'll ready the horses."

"Are you going to make it buck me off again?" Arthur wasn't smiling… was he? He was leaning closer and she would have sworn on her favorite eagle that he was smiling. "Am I going to be bound again? Hooded? Are you kidnapping me and taking my crown?"

There he was. Arthur always had something to say. "Only if you misbehave. Now get the sword and meet me at the stable." She turned on one heel and fled, trying not to hear the low, somehow fond laughter of England's king behind her. Sometimes it wasn't easy to be Camelot's mage.

Or Arthur's…

000

He must admit he fully enjoyed seeing her flustered. Arthur knew how to read people. It had been absolutely necessary when he'd been living in the brothel and very useful in his side businesses too. Now, as King of England, it was a skill that could literally save his kingdom. 

And Arthur knew, down to his very bones, that something was going on with his Mage. Something she would rather bathe in hot coals than tell him about. But he needed her more than he wanted to admit, and for more than just her magic. He waited a moment, watching the jerk and sway of her skirts as she turned a corner at nearly a run. 

Yes, there was definitely something going on with his mage. And he was clearly about to get some one on one time to try to figure it out. Hopefully, this time wouldn't involve nearly dying in the dark lands or very painful snake bites. Clasping his hands together behind his back, Arthur walked at a sedate pace towards his chambers to retrieve the sword. With his mage in a hurry, a little slowness might annoy her. And annoyed people were just that much easier to read. Arthur would take any advantage he could get with her.

After another short walk at a measured pace led him to the open ground just outside the stables where his mage was already impatiently pacing beside their usual horses. That part made perfect sense. What surprised him was the amount of supplies loaded onto both mares. Bedrolls were lashed to the back of each saddle along with large enough bags for a few days worth of necessities. 

"Just how long are we planning to be gone?" The lines of her back went tense then relaxed at the sound of his voice. Her fingers clenched before nervously tugging at her sleeves and the edges of her cloak. And she still wasn't meeting his eyes. Arthur wanted her to look at him. It might make her even a little easier to read. "I really don't want to be kidnapped and held for ransom in the woods."

There, now she was glaring at him, but eye contact was eye contact. "How long we are gone depends upon your cooperation. And if I wanted money there would be easier ways to get it then spending that much time with you." 

Without another word, his mage looked away and moved towards her horse. Arthur hadn't been done reading her face and moved closer. He caught up with her and decided to push his luck. Locking both hands on her waist from behind, Arthur lifted her into her saddle despite the glare she gave him and the sudden grip of her hands on his wrists. As if she wasn't trying to kill him with her eyes, Arthur rested one of those hands on her knee and stroked the neck of her horse with the other. "So where are we going, Mage? Our knights should know where to look for us if we are needed back at the castle before you're done with me."

The frustrated sound low in her throat made him smile. Then she shook off his hands and pulled her horse away from his side. "We'll be at the springs to the south. We may need to be there for a few days and we must not be interrupted." Her eyes didn't leave his face, but they weren't meeting his. If Arthur didn't know any better, he'd think his mage was staring at his lips. He licked his lips and followed her eyes follow the tip of his tongue. Then she jerked her gaze to the reins in her hands and seemed to struggle to control her horse for a moment. When she had more than once controlled his horse effortlessly from yards away… really… "Now, get on your horse. The guards at the gate can tell your knights whatever you want them to. We must be going. Now."

Yes, there was definitely something going on with his mage. And Arthur was beginning to think he was going to enjoy finding out exactly what it was. Swinging into his saddle, Arthur smiled at the tense lines of her back. "Yes, ma'am. I'm right behind you. Lead the way."

000


	2. Chapter 2

A Different Kind of Sacrifice  
by AnitaB  
Chapter 2: The Plan or No Other Way

Part of her wanted to nudge her horse into a full gallop and simply run away from the whole plan. Arthur might not hunt her down and demand an explanation. Maybe. Part of her wanted to stop pulling away at all and just let Arthur keep giving her those little touches and looks. She could remember the warmth of those hands on her skin after the first time he'd used the sword. She tried to forget that fact that a knife to her throat had been the last thing to happen before he finally held the blade with both hands. She tried to forget the strength of his hand in hers when she gave him the snake bite. 

Now she could still feel the fabric-dulled heat of those hands on her waist, her knee. And if the day went according to her plans, those hands were going to be heating up so much more of her skin. 

But first she had to explain everything to him and get him to agree. And then she had to somehow manage to keep herself in control during the ritual and let him go again afterward. Somehow. It had to be done, the signs had been very clear about that. Arthur's uncle had poisoned the connection of the Pendragon bloodline to the land and to the mages. Until Arthur cleaned and reclaimed the connection, that poison would spread and continue to damage all three. 

A sacred place, Arthur, and a mage were necessary to the ritual. //But there are other mages…\\\ Her eyes clenched for a moment. The thought of letting any other mage take her place… //No\\\\. 

She was Camelot's mage. She was Arthur's mage. She would cut the hands off any mage who dared to touch him, guide him. //My Arthur, my king.\\\ Arthur's Mage glanced at him out of the corner of her eye only to find that he was still watching her silently. Because only he could be impossible both when he was talking and when he wasn't. This wasn't going to be easy no matter when she finally did it. "You must have questions."

"Yeah… but I get the feeling that my Mage doesn't really want to give me any answers. And if you make my horse angry at me I'll be walking back." Strong shoulders rose and fell before his lips quirked into a half smile. "I'd like to think I'm smarter than that." He nudged his horse a little closer and gave her something closer to a full smile. "And if I annoy you too much, you might stab me to death in my sleep. Remember, I was raised in a brothel. I know better than to doubt a woman's strength or mind."

She had watched him with the girls from his brothel. He also knew better than to harm or demean a woman. Any man who raised a hand to them answered to Arthur. Sometimes she wondered what else Arthur's girls had taught him over the years. She shook her head and tried not to think about his hands, his lips. That wasn't why they had to do this. "Your uncle was in power for far too long. His tower polluted the natural magic of this land and its mages. He corrupted the Pendragon bloodline with his sacrifices. We are going to a sacred place to repair the bond of the king to his country."

"So… I'm the king… you're the mage… and the springs are the land." Arthur made a sound very similar to a snort. "We're not killing a goat, are we?"

Sometimes she wondered what the lady of the lake saw in this one. Shaking her head, the Mage responded with a snort of her own. "I just told you that your uncle's sacrifices were the problem. No, we are not killing a goat. We must do something else."

"Clearly that something else is making you uncomfortable, since you've spoken in the last hour more than the last month combined and still won't tell me what we're actually doing." 

He would never just give something up. It was in Arthur's nature to play with things like a dog, to worry and chew at something until he understood it completely. It was both something she admired and drove her mad. And he was right about one thing. Arthur had already dragged more words from her than normal. "Sex, Arthur! We are going to the sacred springs so I can channel your life energy to the land. Life instead of death. We are going to have sex, Arthur." The man went absolutely still with his eyes locked on her face. His horse had more sense of life and motion. And he was quiet. Arthur quiet was terrifying. "Say something."

000

She was almost there. He just needed to push a little harder and she'd shout at him. But the shout would finally be the important words that she was avoiding, and then he could finally make sense of what was happening.

The shout he was working so hard for came and Arthur felt the shock of those words slam home in his head. //Wait… what?\\\ Two images filled his mind in a way that reminded him of what he saw when he held the sword. But these were not memories. These were the future and both sent little shocks through all his nerves. Both had the mage, his mage naked in his arms. Otherwise they had no similarity. In the first, she was clinging to his shoulders and moaning into a passionate kiss. In the second, she was avoiding his touch as much as possible, her eyes clenched and her face turned away.

Arthur knew that look. He usually handed the girls who had worn that look a year's wages from the time he was strong enough to take on their misbehaving customers. He hated seeing that look on anyone's face. And there was no way on this earth that he was going to be the one who put that look on her face. //Fucking hell, no.\\\

"Say something." 

She sounded afraid, somehow fragile and the vision of pleasure on her face, the sound of want in her voice seemed to fade and disappear. Arthur closed his eyes and dragged in a ragged breath. "Tell me… tell me I heard you wrong."

"You did not. I said sex. Life magic to clean away the death magic your uncle used." Her voice paused, the silence partially disturbed by the sound of her horse coming up alongside his. Her hand on his arm forced his eyes back open. But his mage stilled, looking scared and it cut at the heart of him. "The ritual is not complicated. We can…"

"No," The word was out of his mouth before he knew what was going to follow it. But there was no taking it back. To lay a hand on her when she was afraid, to touch her sexually when there was no pleasure on her face… he just couldn't. "There must be another way." Claiming her hand, Arthur pressed his lips to her knuckles. "I was raised in a brothel, remember. I know touch is either the best or worst thing one person can do to another. I will not hurt you that way. I can't." He watched her face, needing to see her response to so simple a touch, to his words. He needed to know. Her eyes fell, but not away. Instead those deep brown eyes locked on his mouth as he pressed another kiss to the back of her hand. Her lips moved soundlessly before her teeth closed on the full lower curve. The sight gave him a little hope. "If you can't feel at least pleasure in my arms, then we will find another god-damned way."

"Arthur…" Her hand retreated, but didn't let go of his. Not trying to pull away from him, then. She wanted him closer. Closer she could have. Arthur followed the pull of those fingers and watched her face for any sign of fear. Nerves, he saw plenty of, but they seemed to backed up by heat, maybe even desire. He licked his lips and fought back a smile at the way her eyes followed his tongue and her own mimicked the path. She wanted him, at least a little. And maybe, just maybe she wanted him even close to how much he wanted her. "Arthur… I…"

This… this he could work with. Arthur moved a little closer, free hand resting on her knee to keep the horses in place. "Can I kiss you, my mage? As a test, if nothing else." Her wide eyes met his for a instant before they flicked down to his lips and back up. Now, now he could see curiosity and heat in her eyes. She'd thought about his kiss before, wanted it, wondered about him that way.

"Yes, Arthur. Kiss me." She was leaning closer and he was more than happy to meet her halfway. Arthur made sure the first touch of their lips was soft, simple, careful and sweet. But simple and careful didn't last long after she made a hungry little sound and parted her lips under his. //That's it, darling, want me back.\\\ Arthur took full advantage of the opening to further explore her mouth. He cupped that stubborn jaw in one hand and stroked the lush curve of her lip with the tip of his tongue. To the sound of her moan, he finally got a real taste of her. The mage clenched one hand in the front of his clothing and the next thrust of a tongue was hers exploring him just as eagerly. She was so warm, so soft, so damned sweet that he had her half out of her saddle and across his lap before his brain caught up to his body. Not that his mage seemed to mind. Once she was completely wrapped in his arms, she returned the favor by curling both her arms around his neck and pressing every gorgeous inch of her body closer against his chest as she continued the kiss around a gasp of his name. He gave himself a few more moments to feel her kiss, to hold her close before resisting the grip of her arms to break the kiss and stare down at the heat in her face. "Arthur,"

"Yeah, darling, I know. I feel it, too. But unless you want a practice run right here, I should get you back on your horse and follow you to the springs." He stroked his thumb across the sweet curve of her lower lip before helplessly stealing one more deep, exploration of a kiss. "We can definitely work magic with this kind of heat between us." 

000


	3. Chapter 3

A Different Kind of Sacrifice  
by AnitaB  
Chapter 3: The Easy Part

She was speechless again. But this time it was because Arthur had just kissed her brain right out of her body and was now holding her tight against his chest with so much gorgeous heat in his eyes, his voice. The only word she could seem to get to her lips was his name and that put a simply beautiful smile to the lips she was staring at helplessly. "Yeah, darling, I know. I feel it, too. But unless you want a practice run right here, I should get you back on your horse and follow you to the springs." The springs… where they wouldn't have to stop. Where she would finally get all of him against all of her and she knew now that she wasn't going to be strong enough to let him go afterward. //My Arthur, all mine.\\\ She melted under the stroke of his thumb along her lip and then got lost in the heat of his mouth claiming hers for a hard, deep kiss. She buried a hand in his hair and held on tight, opening to feel every little bit of this moment. Strong hands curled around her waist as he raised his head, keeping her from following his lips and continuing the kiss even longer. "We can definitely work magic with this kind of heat between us." 

Oh, yes. The sex magic was going to be the easy part. Making herself leave his arms for the rest of the ride to the springs… that might be more difficult. Relearning how to keep herself from kissing him every single time he smiled at her… that might be impossible. She certainly wasn't giving up his arms around her just yet, not before she got another kiss. She smiled, watching the heat in his eyes lock onto the curve of her lips. Seemed that he was just as focused on a kiss as she was. "Yes, I am sure we can channel more than enough magic with this heat." She flattened both hands on the solid heat of his chest, dragging all ten fingers up the lean muscles to cup his jaw, fingertips tracing the edges of his beard. "But maybe we should get in a little more practice before we get to the springs." His hands clenched on her hips and this time those hands helped her cross the distance between their lips instead of holding her back. Also this time Arthur was opening his lips under hers, holding her tight but giving her complete control over the kiss. Arthur, who fought back against everything and everyone, was giving her his all, giving her himself. //Arthur… \\\ She wanted all of him, wanted more. Fisting her hands in his clothes, his hair, she deepened the kiss, claiming and exploring his mouth until they both ran out of breath. //Mine, my Arthur.\\\ 

"My mage, we should get to the springs before I run out of patience and we really spook the horses." Arthur gave her a smile and shifted her body against his. "But if you turn the other way, I'm sure we can make our way there without hitting the ground." She settled into his arms and plucked the reins up from the saddle horn before he could reach for them.

His hands stopped midway to the reins then closed on her hips and tucked her closer into the line of his body, wrapping tight around her waist. His mouth was warm against the line of her neck, trailing little open mouthed kisses from the edge of her jaw to the slope of her shoulder. The wet flick of his tongue and the light scrape of his teeth over her skin almost made her lose her grip on the leather, did arch her body along his with a helpless sound. //Arthur…\\\ "Stop distracting me with kisses and I won't be forced to knock you off this horse before we get there." 

A low, sweet chuckle against her ear came with one more little kiss before he obeyed. Then it was the feel of his body against hers and the sound of his voice serving as distractions. "So… my Mage… tell me about this ritual. How exactly is this gonna go? And is there anything you don't want me to do?"

She couldn't think of a single thing she didn't want him to do… except let go of her, ever. As for the ritual… she was having a hard time thinking clearly about anything except the strength of his arms around her and the memory of his back under her hands and the way his kiss felt… //Arthur… I… Focus, Mage. Your king just asked a question.\\\

"We must…" His hands tightened sharply on her hips, cutting off her words at the feel of him tucked hard and wanting at the small of her back. 

"I mean other than that. Remember we're not practicing that part now and spooking the horses. So let's not distract ourselves." The edge of his beard stroked against her throat as he pulled her closer and made a low, rumbling sound in his throat before going still at her back. "I mean how are we channeling all that energy into wherever it needs to go." 

"The springs… the springs are sacred. Nature's magic there will spread throughout the kingdom. We put the sword where the water meets the ground so the blade touches air, water, and earth. There are words to speak and a potion we both drink before we…" She stopped speaking at the tightening of his hands on her waist, breathing out a soft groan at the brush of his beard against her pulse and a kiss against her shoulder. "After we finish… we must hold the sword with both hands, together, and finish an incantation."

"And after we finish the ritual…" Arthur's voice went low and very soft. "After all the land has what it needs from us… What happens between us then?" His hands held her close, tucked tight and warm against the hard lines of his body. But somehow it felt more gentle than any touch she'd ever received. Maybe Arthur wanted her as much as she wanted him. Maybe, just maybe she could have this. She let her eyes fall closed and cuddled back against the line of his chest. His arms only tightened around her with a brush of his cheek along her throat. "My Mage?"

//Yes, please. Your mage, always yours.\\\ Words. Arthur needed the words and she needed to answer him. There was nothing she wanted more than what he seemed to be offering. "I… we… I want … I want us to be … more… together." He went still at her back and she struggled with breathing. If he didn't… "Say something, Arthur. Please."

He didn't use words, but her breath left her body in a shaky relieved sigh anyway. His hand stole the reigns right out of her fingers before he twisted her around against his chest. One strong hand cupped her jaw with shaking fingers, angling her up to see a wealth of need and heat in his eyes. She was leaning into the kiss, so focused on his lips that she almost didn't hear the one word he managed in the moment before those lips met hers. "Morgana," 

Time just stopped as he kissed the sound of her name onto her lips. A name he shouldn't even know, had never used before, and that he whispered with so much emotion in his voice. //Arthur,\\\

000

It was a risk. It was a big, damn risk. But sometimes those paid off just as big and this was something Arthur wanted very, very badly. With how she had responded in his arms, he hoped she might want this too. And Arthur knew himself. There was no way in hell he could go through with this ritual and not try for more … of her, with her… after. It would be good to know how much a seduction or a battle he was going to have ahead of him. 

And he certainly wasn't about to let her back out of his arms before she knew exactly where they were going with this. Together. "And after we finish the ritual…" He paused a moment, holding her close and carefully tight while he searched for the right words. "After all the land has what it needs from us… What happens between us then?" The body in his arms, pressed against his racing heart, went still. Frighteningly still, almost like she did when she wasn't in there at the moment. He could feel her thinking and tried pulling her closer until she relaxed in his arms, but she still didn't speak. He tucked his face against the line of her throat and forced his own throat to function. "My Mage?"

She shivered at his voice, her body going soft and warm against his chest. //Please, say something…\\\ Arthur felt her take in a shaky breath and found himself holding his own. . "I… we… I want … I want us to be … more… together." Now it was his turn to go still while his brain desperately processed her words, tried to believe it. This amazing, powerful woman unlike any he'd ever met before had just said that she wanted more, wanted him, wanted //Us… together.\\\ "Say something, Arthur. Please."

He didn't have words for the feeling in his chest at the moment. The amazing woman in his arms needed to know he was completely onboard with them together in every way. She needed to know that he saw her, wanted her. That he knew her. All of her… "Morgana" He felt her surprise in the second before he got lost in the most amazing kiss he'd ever had. She was here, in his arms, holding him tight and kissing him back so sweetly. And he was going to get to keep her in his arms. 

Arthur let go of the restraint he'd been trying to have and simply gave himself over to this kiss, this embrace. He found his hands clenched in the long fabric of her skirt, dragging the layers up over her knees. He needed her closer, her heart against his, every single inch of her pressed tight against his chest and cradled close, so close, in his arms. And that meant these damned skirts needed to be out of his way. Another few inches higher and the woman in his arms managed the turn to tuck her knees around his waist and press every gorgeous inch of her body against his, finally almost close enough and still kissing him with enough heat and need to drive him mad. //That's it, my love, my mage. Give me more, give me all of you. My sweet Morgana…\\\

His hands slid over her body, clutched at the sweet curve of her hips and guided her down tight against his own hips, helplessly wanting her to feel just how much she affected him. Arthur moaned into the kiss when those hips rocked and arched in his hands, against the hard line of his need. Her entire body arched in his arms, putting the lips he couldn't get enough of just out of reach. "Arthur, please…" But the bare line of her throat down to the low, square neck of her dress was right in front of his eyes, his lips. 

Any piece of her he hadn't seen, hadn't touched… well that was worth the time to explore. Arthur rocked his hips against hers and kissed the vibration of her moan down the arched line of her neck to feel her heart racing under his lips. Her fingers tightened in his hair, her arms pulling him closer, trying to guide him lower. But the dress was still in the way. Arthur could feel her trying to lead him places he desperately wanted to go. Of course he wanted to kiss and lick and touch every single gorgeous inch of the body trembling against his chest. But they were still on horseback in the middle of the woods, fully dressed despite the fact that his fingers knew exactly how to unlace her ties and were already reaching for them. //Stupid man, don't be stupid here…\\\ Her first time in his arms, their first time together like that… shouldn't be like this.

Arthur forced his hands to lay flat and still against her back. He closed his eyes and laid his cheek over the pounding beat of her heart and tucked her close and still against the front of his body. "Morgana… love, we shouldn't… not like this." Her breath caught in her throat, her body stilled against his, her arms went tight around his shoulders but also managed to somehow relax instead of clutch. Arthur simply held her close for the space of several calming breaths. "We should get you back on your horse before… we should just get you back on your horse and get ourselves to these holy springs." Her sigh shifted her ribs against his cheek and her arms loosened around him.

"Yes… of course." He could feel her body's reluctance to pull away from his even as his hands helped her scoot back on his knees and smooth down her skirts. "We need to go." Her hands rested on his chest for a moment, before she leaned closer for a short but emotional kiss. Then she forced herself back from his lips and Arthur dragged out all of his self control to help her climb out of his lap and back onto her own horse. It was painfully cold now that her heat was completely out of reach. But Arthur was comforted a little by the fact that his mage shivered and tucked her clothing tighter around herself, also feeling the cold. "Follow me, Arthur." 

"Anywhere, love. I'm yours now, Morgana. I'd follow you anywhere." He watched her hands clench, her lips curve and he had to remind his own hands to focus on the reigns of his horse, not the curls of dark hair spilling down her back. "Lead the way, my mage."

Now the smile on her lips was matched by the arch of one eyebrow and Arthur knew something good was coming. "Keep up with me if you can, my king." She gathered her horse under her and was suddenly racing down the trail streaming hair, skirts and laughter behind her. 

//That's my girl. Here I come.\\\ Arthur planted in his feet in the stirrups and made chase through the woods, holding back just enough to both keep her in sight and not catch her until they got to the springs. He knew the next time he laid hand or mouth on her skin, he simply would not have the strength to stop himself again. 

000


End file.
